When A Leader Becomes A Leader: A Young Professional’s Perspective (Part 1)
I really had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and I think a great deal of that grew out of the fact that I had a chance to read a lot.
If you give people tools, [and they use] their natural ability and their curiosity, they will develop things in ways that will surprise you very much beyond what you might have expected. ~Bill Gates
Inseparability of Leadership and Management
I have always argued that you cannot take leadership apart from business management. While leadership and management are two distinct functions, they are in fact inseparable. A good manager is almost always a good leader, vis a vis a good leader is a good manager.
Many management authors still uphold the separation of the two, or make one a part of the other. Take for example this online article: The Difference Between a Manager and a Leader:
Leadership is just one of the many assets a successful manager must possess. Care must be taken in distinguishing between the two concepts. The main aim of a manager is to maximize the output of the organization through administrative implementation. To achieve this, managers must undertake the following functions: organization, planning, staffing, directing, and controlling. Leadership is just one important component of the directing function. A manager cannot just be a leader; he also needs formal authority to be effective
Well said. And though the argument here seem plausible, I would still continue to assert their inseparability. If only professional managers learn the real essence of leadership, we will see more Bill Gates in the corporate world. But we don’t. Why? Because we take apart the heart of leadership from the manager; we train him, or push him to get that MBA degree, to become a corporate robot, managing systems instead of leading people to innovations, quality, and productivity. If managers are able to lead people effectively, this can be easily translated into profits.
Leadership and Management Books that Inspire
To further this discussion, there are at least three important books that, in my opinion, are influential in their own rights on the issue of management and leadership, namely:
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
It’s ancient and it’s even older than the bible. For decades now, this is one of the standard readings among military academies around the world. And lately, management gurus are extracting management principles from it. I myself have three plain translations in my possession and one with an exhaustive management and leadership annotations. This ancient war manual is an authority in itself, because it speaks directly to the modern corporate leadership. I wonder when it is going to become a standard reading among business schools.
- Leading with Soul by Bolman and Lee.
“The heart of true leadership can only be found in the heart of the leader.”
I believe that phrase captures the essence of this modern book on corporate leadership. It is not a spiritual or religious book, mind you. Nor was it written by priests or ministers. It is modern parable that tells us in a no non-sense way the basics of true leadership when we get lost in the technicality of management systems.
- A Leader Becomes a Leader by J. Kevin Sheehan.
Here is a compilation of inspirational stories of leadership that spawns generations of leaders. Sheehan highlighted in bits and pieces the core values of leaders of the past and of the present, and presented them here in a very easy digestible format. Believe me, when this book arrived in the mail and I started flipping on page after page, I cannot help but pause and reflect. I read the book in one sitting but from time to time flip through some pages for further reflections. I was simply inspired.
On the next post, allow me to give a few highlights of the last book and further our discussion on the issue at hand. For now, have your say please.
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Your post reminds me of my Management subject Professor.
Anyway, just visiting! hope to see you around. *blog hop*
simpleyesas last blog post..Speaking in different languages is a plus?
I agree, Management and Leadership are inseparable and as such all the aspects of management: organization, tactical planning, staffing, directing, and controlling (and I would add coaching, training and development) must be integrated with the attributes and skills of an effective leader.
Leadership, however, is not a tactic or strategy.
Effective leadership arises from a set of internal values that form the basis of the leader’s vision, priorities, and decisions. The addition of vision, strategic thinking and planning, communication and connecting skills to the management attributes and skills form the whole…the effective Leader-Manager.
knowing how to lead and manage if very different from knowing when to lead and when to manage. This capability can only be learned through experience in the trenches.
Martice said, “Effective leadership arises from a set of internal values that form the basis of the leader’s vision, priorities, and decisions.”
@ Martice: Does that mean you feel the ability to lead cannot be taught and must be an inherint talent?
I think we all have the internal integrity to be a good leader and as Martice suggested it comes to shine through use and practice/experience. An important part of learning to be a good leader is learning who you are, what makes you effective, and to develop a strong self-image and esteem. Reading books, such as those suggested (and many other great ones available) is a wonderful way to learn the tools to self-discovery.
Thanks for sharing your insight.
Rebecca Laffar-Smiths last blog post..Mornings - Guest Post by Jean Knill
Thank you all for the kind thoughts and comments. ^^,
@ simplyeyesa
Thank you. I hope I am not sounding too ‘professorial’ here. lol
Btw, am I that old? Hmmm
@ Martice
When to lead and when to manage will always be a dilemma. Though I agree that this can be developed through experience, I also think that this can be learned through ‘people sensing’ and learning from the pros (e.g., mentorship).
As usual, you always add value to my post -thank you.
@ Rebecca
On the one hand, probably there are those who where born gifted or destined to be great leaders. Now, am trying to be safe there. And I think history speaks for itself -in part.
On the other hand, anyone can become a great leader. Because leaders can be made. As you have said, learning the rudiments, acquiring the right values, and developing good character can and will make anybody who aspires for leadership into a good (great) leader.